– “KRAZY HORSE” BENNETT RIDES HIGH AGAIN

by Mick Hammond – MMAWeekly.com
Whether you love him or you hate him, you can’t deny that Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett is one of the most exciting fighters in MMA. Case in point was Krazy Horse’s dismantling of highly touted KJ Noons at the EliteXC show in Southaven, Mississippi this past Saturday.

Heading into the fight it was clear that the promoters of EliteXC were looking to build Noons’ stature by having him face off against what could be deemed as a “beatable veteran.” After all, Noons had signed a multi-fight MMA and Pro Boxing contract with Gary Shaw Productions and should he win, he could be an easily bankable star heading into future events.

So it was no surprise when Charles Bennett’s name came up. While his unorthodox style could present troubles for KJ, other, more skilled fighters had been able to handle Bennett in the past, as evidenced by his 16-13-2 record, losing six of his previous seven fights heading into EliteXC.

Fighters such as the IFL’s John Gunderson, UFC’s Dokonjonosuke Mishima, WEC Featherweight Champ Urijah Faber, and PRIDE’s Jeff Curran and Tatsuya Kawajiri had been able to dispatch of Krazy Horse in big fights, so it wasn’t too far out of conventional thinking that KJ could do the same.

Couple this with the fact that internationally Bennett is highly recognizable and is responsible for the largest ratings in PRIDE history with his win over actor Ken Kaneko at Shockwave 2005, and you have the recipe for a potentially career-making fight for Noons.

So the match was set, Charles and KJ were to face-off with the hopes being that Noons’ style could overcome the wild veteran and set up a bigger match-up in future shows for KJ. But as the adapted saying of a Robert Burns poem goes, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

After the obligatory playing up to the camera that usually accompanies a televised Krazy Horse fight, Bennett and Noons began to exchange after a brief feeling out period, with Noons landing stiff leg kicks, slowing Charles’ advances.

From there it went all downhill quickly for KJ, as Bennett let fly with a vicious right hand that sent Noons down to the canvas. Wasting no time Krazy Horse landed a few follow-up shots for good measure before referee Herb Dean stepped in to call a halt to the bout at the 3:43 mark of the first round.

Compulsory backflip-off-the-cage in tow, Bennett once again showed that while he might not be the most skilled of fighters, he’s still one of the most unpredictable and dangerous athletes in the sport.

With his win, it’s anyone’s guess where Charles could be headed next. A long-time staple of the King of the Cage promotion (KOTC promoter Terry Trebilcock was in the cage to congratulate Charles after the fight) and recent veteran of PRIDE, we could continue to see him on both stages, while also appearing elsewhere the money leads.

So while you’re not always guaranteed consistency when Krazy Horse is on a show, and more often than not you’ll have haters aplenty as well as supporters, one thing’s irrefutable, there’s always going to be a market for the type of fighter that Bennett is: brash, unorthodox, undeniably athletic with one-punch KO power.

Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett is here to stay, whether you want to be behind him or not, it doesn’t matter to him. He’ll keep being his enigmatic self and he’ll put on an electrifying show each time out, win or lose.